CAK, PPRA Launch Major Crackdown on Tender Cartels in Sh1.68 Trillion Procurement Market

The Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) have teamed up to dismantle tender cartels that manipulate government contracts and inflate project costs. Announced by CAK Director-General David Kibet Kemei and Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo, this enhanced collaboration targets collusive practices within public procurement. Procurement accounts for 60 percent of Kenya's public expenditure—amounting to approximately Sh1.68 trillion—making it highly vulnerable to financial manipulation.Target Anti-Competitive BehaviorsThe multi-agency crackdown specifically isolates and targets three primary illegal schemes used by cartels to distort public bidding:Bid Rigging: Secret coordination among expected competitors where select firms drop out or artificially raise prices to guarantee a win for a costly, preferred bidder.